Chapter 17 - The Wedding We Chose
Aaron waited beneath the oak trees.
No enormous ballroom.
No corporate banners.
No reporters.
Just Aaron.
When he saw me, he smiled.
Not the polished smile he used for shareholders.
The crooked one I had forgotten.
I walked toward him alone.
That was intentional.
Nobody gave me away.
I belonged to myself.
Aaron understood.
Our vows were short.
His were shorter.
“I promise to notice.”
That broke me.
Because it was everything our first marriage had lacked.
When my turn came, I said:
“I promise to speak before silence becomes distance.”
We exchanged rings.
Nathan signed as witness.
Jasmine cried harder than anyone.
Even Margaret smiled.
Afterward, Aaron and I slipped away to my grandfather's study.
The chessboard remained where I had left it.
Aaron touched one piece.
“Do you think he'd approve?”
“Of you?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Aaron laughed.
I smiled.
“Eventually.”
He kissed my forehead.
“I can live with eventually.”
Outside, music began.
I looked around the room.
Once it had held secrets.
Now the windows were open.
Sunlight crossed the floor.
Nothing hidden.
Nothing locked away.
I took Aaron's hand.
“Come on, husband.”
He smiled.
“I've missed hearing that.”
“Don't get comfortable.”
“Wouldn't dream of it.”
We returned to the garden.
And for the first time, becoming Mrs. Prescott did not feel like losing Claire Hale.
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Because this time, I wasn't disappearing into someone else's life.
Aaron was joining mine.
